because one world is plenty
Starting an anti-patent-abuse appropriate technology political bloc?
As I look at all these rocket scientists struggling to navigate the horrific waters of patent law and worst practices, I'm wondering... why has the Sacred Oath gone out of fashion?
Like, really, what this comes down to is three principles which really ought to be sworn in blood by anybody doing this kind of work.
1> I will not permit any human being to be deprived of live-giving technology by the profit motive.
2> Any works that I patent I will make available to others who are engaged in humanitarian activity for free, except where this would breach other contractual responsibilities.
3> I will not use patent law to slow the pace of innovation or service delivery to the needy under any circumstances.
I think that if I could get everybody I'm doing business with to swear some version of these oaths in a serious fashion, my life would be enormously easier. I think I know a lot of other people who feel the same way.
Maybe this needs to be part of the Global Swadeshi movement, or its own thing, a sort of voluntary code of ethics to guide us where the horrific murk of international law leaves us with little support.
Furthermore, I think that if we got a few hundred people behind this, as a bloc, we could shame companies who were violating fair practices with patent and copyright in the developing world, at least in the burgeoning appropriate infrastructure for the poorest area. The reason we cannot do this with open publishing alone is that things which have not been explicitly published may well become vulnerable to patents - a small innovation becomes patented, and now nobody else in the field can use it without exposing themselves to patent liability.
A large group of allied appropriate technology groups with a common stance on that kind of behavior could probably public-relations-bomb any company trying to leech from the open pool in this way as a way of ensuring that appropriate technology remains Free As In Speech or at least is licensed irrevocably as Free As In Beer for non-profits and small, local commercial enterprises.
The last thing that we want is a patent bloodbath at the bottom of the pyramid: people are going to die if that happens. Possibly hundreds of thousands to tens of millions, given a few years. We need to roundly nip this in the bud, keep the patent trolls off our back, and more importantly, the backs of the poor.
Like, really, what this comes down to is three principles which really ought to be sworn in blood by anybody doing this kind of work.
1> I will not permit any human being to be deprived of live-giving technology by the profit motive.
2> Any works that I patent I will make available to others who are engaged in humanitarian activity for free, except where this would breach other contractual responsibilities.
3> I will not use patent law to slow the pace of innovation or service delivery to the needy under any circumstances.
I think that if I could get everybody I'm doing business with to swear some version of these oaths in a serious fashion, my life would be enormously easier. I think I know a lot of other people who feel the same way.
Maybe this needs to be part of the Global Swadeshi movement, or its own thing, a sort of voluntary code of ethics to guide us where the horrific murk of international law leaves us with little support.
Furthermore, I think that if we got a few hundred people behind this, as a bloc, we could shame companies who were violating fair practices with patent and copyright in the developing world, at least in the burgeoning appropriate infrastructure for the poorest area. The reason we cannot do this with open publishing alone is that things which have not been explicitly published may well become vulnerable to patents - a small innovation becomes patented, and now nobody else in the field can use it without exposing themselves to patent liability.
A large group of allied appropriate technology groups with a common stance on that kind of behavior could probably public-relations-bomb any company trying to leech from the open pool in this way as a way of ensuring that appropriate technology remains Free As In Speech or at least is licensed irrevocably as Free As In Beer for non-profits and small, local commercial enterprises.
The last thing that we want is a patent bloodbath at the bottom of the pyramid: people are going to die if that happens. Possibly hundreds of thousands to tens of millions, given a few years. We need to roundly nip this in the bud, keep the patent trolls off our back, and more importantly, the backs of the poor.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ryan Wartena on -
When thinking about distributing processes we can observe that government is localized (states rights supersede federal rights), grid power is diversifying and distributing, food is inherently distributed since the technology is delivered in seed form and water flows and rains. All the elements are in place for our efforts in moving towards a healthy and well-balanced planetary system. But what about patents? How does *one* apply a distributed philosophy to ideas? Maybe the same questions can be asked for literature and music, how does the inventor profit from the rights of something that has an ephemeral quality like ideas, sounds and compositions?
There is the idea that if you have the idea then you are personally responsible to take it all the way from idea birth (where ever that comes from!) to idea integration into society. Some would argue that they would not want to do all those pieces and the response would be to team up with some people you like to help you. Maybe this is part of life's lessons, that is, to push our own personal boundaries into spaces that we have yet to practice. In this light, you if you have an idea, take it all the way through. If you decide to hand it off, for any reason, to somebody else to take care of it, then, well, its been handed off and your intention behind the idea may not follow with it. This is the true-ist perspective I can see. Personally, I know that anything I bring into this world I am responsible for and will work to make sure that it goes to the best and healthy application we can envision.
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Permalink Reply by Vinay Gupta on -
Well said, sir, well said. I'm entirely useless at business, so I publish ideas and hope business will find uses for them - not good at this all the way thing at all!
I think in this scenario the key is that there's no central body to issue patents. Leaves some hard questions about how the capital that it can take to test and develop new ideas is protected, but maybe we can get there with some combination of crowdsourcing and ideas like the Street Performer Protocol.
http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue4_6/kelsey/index.html
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Permalink Reply by Thomas Bjelkeman-Pettersson on
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I am the opposite. I am good at taking good ideas and making them into businesses or going concerns. The trick is to find more of us and collaborate together.
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Permalink Reply by Vinay Gupta on
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Good talent to have! And, yes, I think that as we all get to know each other's work and talents better, it's going to be easier than ever to do great things :)
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Permalink Reply by Anthony Jaime on -
you need your own predators.
wolves to protect the fold - so to speak, from those that would take these patents that could be of use - and file it away as you stated earlier.
I wholeheartedly espouse the earlier proposals for a reformation of the system as a whole. redefining the environs for those who intuit and develop such ideas that may benefit humanity as a whole.
but until that day has come - you need your own wolves.
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